Instructional Coaching Seminar Mary Chin, Jennifer Ramirez
We will read a short excerpt from Norms and Nobility and have seminar discussions through the lens of instructional coaching. If teachers can only teach from who they are, what they love, and what they know, how do we best support them as they engage in life-long learning? What are the roadblocks for teacher learning and how can a coach help dismantle them? No pre-work required; come with curiosity and your experience and we look forward to an energetic and thoughtful conversation.
Leading Classical Schools in an Unclassical World Eric Cook
Although the classical school movement has seen extraordinary growth and interest, in many ways, it has done so in the face of immense obstacles. The current cultural milieu is almost entirely tilted against classical ideals and the classical model. The vast majority of American parents have hardly heard of classical education, much less been trained in the liberal arts. Among many, the classical tradition represents bigotry, misogyny, and the wrong vision for forming children. It is among these barriers and in this context that our school leaders must serve and shepherd their school communities. How can leaders articulate a clear, compelling vision for classical education? How can they embody the ideals and values of the tradition in ways that meet parents where they are? How can heads of school develop a vision for partnership that helps parents embrace the good, true, and beautiful things that the classical model provides? This session will explore these questions and equip leaders with the language, tools, and courage to lead their classical schools in an unclassical world.
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Teaching Teenagers: A Classical Vision to Reach an Anxious Generation Dan Scoggin
This workshop will discuss the cultural and personal headwinds our teens encounter in fully embracing a classical education today. How can we as school leaders and teachers create better conditions for them so they can seek virtue authentically? We will discuss teaching and motivational strategies that enable teens in our schools to find their unique potential within a lasting tradition of excellence.
Leveraging Questions in Instructional Coaching: APEX Course Highlight Mary Chin, Jennifer Ramirez
This session will focus on the art of asking questions through an instructional coaching lens. We know that students thrive in discovery-style learning environments. How does this translate to instructional coaching? We will ground this discussion in an excerpt from the Paideia Proposal before workshopping practical questions to use in feedback meetings. This session will also highlight the Instructional Coaching Principles and Practices APEX course that will next run June-September 2026.
Leadership and Classical Education: Four Distinct Challenges for the Leaders of Classical Schools Helen Hayes
This workshop identifies four challenges that operate in unique ways for the leader of a classical school and that make the job distinct from leadership of non-classical schools. It is unlikely that you will emerge having mastered these challenges, as they reflect the magnitude of classical education itself. For instance, your teachers might wish to produce lifelong learners, might even know what actions are conducive to doing so, and still have a long way to travel before having consistent success in cultivating lifelong learners. How do you inspire your teachers and equip them toward the goal of becoming lifelong learners?
Capital Campaigns for Classical Schools: From Discernment to Launch Mallory Staley
Whether you’re contemplating your first capital campaign or managing one already underway, this training offers strategic insights for every phase of the journey. We’ll begin by examining the foundational work that precedes any successful campaign—from assessing institutional readiness to building the leadership infrastructure necessary for a major fundraising initiative. School leaders will gain clarity on the critical questions to answer before publicly launching a campaign. The real test of a campaign, however, comes after the initial excitement fades. This training addresses the obstacles that frequently emerge once a campaign is in motion: construction budgets that escalate beyond projections, donor engagement that loses momentum, and the challenge of securing transformational gifts rather than incremental ones. Participants will learn proven approaches for maintaining campaign vitality and adapting strategy when circumstances shift. For schools considering consecutive campaigns or already planning their next initiative, we’ll discuss sustainable fundraising models that protect donor relationships while advancing institutional priorities. The session will conclude with essential post-campaign practices—the often-overlooked work that determines whether a campaign creates lasting advancement capacity and how you can retain and cultivate new funding sources.
Common Heresies in Classical Education Alex Julian
So many schools call themselves classical today, but are often teaching and operating in ways that are antithetical to their mission. In this talk, Alex Julian will explore some of the most common “heresies” in classical schools, and offer a vision of what the best classical schools are doing to achieve their mission.
Helping Your Teachers Find Success in the Classroom Suzanne Meledeo
Join me for a workshop that will help you create a semester long course for your teachers to help them find success in the classroom. This course marries the beauty of classical curriculum, pedagogy, and philosophy with practical classroom management techniques. Teachers meet weekly over the semester to seminar on assigned texts and discuss practical classroom management methods they have tried in their classrooms. We will work together to identify the needs of your teachers to create a personalized course for your school. I look forward to working together to help each of you craft a course that meets the needs of your teachers and helps them find greater success.
The Future of Classical Education in America: Solving the Talent Need Erik Twist
The classical renewal depends on one thing: people. Yet the movement faces an urgent and widening talent gap. In this session, Arcadia President Erik Twist will share a proven, system-level approach to solving the pipeline problem — from uncovering hidden teacher markets and forging recruitment pathways to building institutional infrastructure that attracts, supports, and retains mission-aligned educators. Drawing on Arcadia’s work with networks, dioceses, and new school launches nationwide, this session will offer practical tools and strategic insights for anyone serious about staffing the future of classical education. If you’re facing a talent crunch, don’t miss this.
The Art of Storytelling – Headline‑Worthy Content for Schools Shannon Richards-Nieves, Jason Moore
Every school has stories worth telling—but not every story is told in a way that captures attention, builds trust, and drives growth. In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify and shape stories that resonate both inside their school community and with the broader public. We’ll explore practical strategies for creating headline-worthy content that maximizes your digital footprint. From writing compelling headlines that draw readers in, to incorporating SEO-friendly code snippets that boost visibility, you’ll walk away with concrete tools to make your school’s stories travel further and work harder online. This workshop will highlight how storytelling serves a dual purpose: strengthening engagement with current families while reaching new audiences to support long-term enrollment growth. Whether you’re a school leader, marketer, or educator, you’ll leave with a framework for turning everyday school moments into meaningful, shareable narratives that connect with parents, donors, and the wider community.
Achieving Excellence – Great Hearts Academic Improvement Framework Heather Washburn
Great Hearts transforms challenges into opportunities through its refined Academic Improvement Framework. After two decades of proving that all children are classically educable, we have developed a powerful three-tier support system that ensures no academy stands alone. This presentation highlights the practical tools and collaborative processes that identify schools in need, mobilize targeted resources through steering committees and working teams, and chart measurable pathways to improvement — all while staying true to our classical mission. Whether you are a headmaster, regional leader, or teacher, you’ll gain actionable insights into how data-informed assessments, strategic goal-setting, and coordinated professional development sustain excellence across our network —because when one academy thrives, we all thrive.